Come November when the city becomes a bit cooler and the smell of fireworks fill the air, I’m reminded of Lila from The Firework-Maker’s Daughter. Philip Pullman’s story of a young girl whose cradle overlooked her father Lalchand’s workshop takes me back to my childhood growing up in Calcutta the early 2000s.
“Firework-Making is a sacred art! You need talent and dedication and the favour of the gods before you can become a Firework-Maker,” says Lalchand. Lila knows all about “fly-away powder and thunder-grains, and scorpion oil and spark repellent”. This know-how according to her father is not enough. At the same time he doesn’t wish to talk about how she can follow in his footsteps. With the help of her friend Chulak the Elephant mahout, Lila finds out that she needs to serve as an apprentice and be tested for the three gifts. Thus begins the incredulous coming of age story of Lila who travels to the heart of Mount Merapi in her quest to become a firework-maker.
With apologies to Lila and Lalchand, we now live in a Brave New World. We may choose to not burst crackers to help heal the world around us, but you can continue bursting crackers in your head with a good book. Having said that, here’s a list of books that kids would enjoy this festive season.
With Diwali on everyone’s mind it would be appropriate to begin with Devdutt Pattanaik’s Ramayana for Children: The Girl Who Chose. For centuries, hundreds have retold the Ramayana, in different languages, adding new twists and turns. According to Pattanaik’s book, Sita makes five choices. Had she not made these choices, the story of Ram would have been very different. This is the reason why Valmiki sometimes refers to the Ramayana as the “Sita Charitam” or the story of Sita. Illustrated in Devdutt’s trademark style, the writing is like having a one-on-one conversation with him.
Closer home, check out The Children’s Ramayana by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury. Amongst other talents, Chowdhury was known for his contributions to children’s Bengali writing. Originally titled Chheleder Ramayana (Ramayana for Boys), the book has been translated by Tilottama Shome. Written in Chowdhury’s trademark quirky tone, with a hint of humour — this is the tale of a group of adventuring friends who vanquish evil and win the princess back.
Special mention to The Gita for Children by Roopa Pai. The conversation between the Pandava prince Arjuna and his mentor and friend Krishna is told in Pai’s lucid style which is well-known. She recently announced that copies of her book crossed one hundred thousand in sales. That is all the more reason to read it if you already haven’t.
Sticking to the mythology theme, Owen Davey’s designs come alive in his My First Pop-up Mythological Monsters. Meet the fearsome ushi-oni that haunts the coast of Japan. Prepared to be dazzled by Scandinavia’s huge, wolflike Fenrir that devours everyone in its path. Fifteen monsters that take you across the planet from the majestic griffin of Egypt to the luck-bearing Sarimanok of the Philippines — the pop-up is quite a ride across civilizations and is certainly not just for toddlers. This book is worth it for the aesthetics itself — a bit like a physical version of an Instagram account.
While we’re on the conversation of illustrations, meet Naturalist Ruddy: Adventurer. Sleuth. Mongoose. Take a ride across India’s various natural habitats from Kanha National Park, to Bor Tiger Reserve and beyond. Meet the Rufous-Bellied Woodpecker, help solve an ant-hill calamity and more in this thriller by Rohan Chakravarty. This book promises to be a delight for an inquisitive mind no matter what your age.
A recently published Timelines from Indian History: From Ancient Civilizations to a Modern Democracy is a well-researched encyclopaedia that takes children through Indian History in bit-sized formats. Updated to present day, the books is divided into different time periods from prehistory to India after Independence and now, present day.
The author Dr. Arunima Chanda has a PhD in Indian English Children’s Literature, and has written other reference titles that provoke discussion among children. This is a perfect example of the modern day compendium for children. The illustrator Priyal Mote and the rest of the team have made this book a visual treat and a must have for home libraries and schools.
Moving on to a couple of international recommendations, the award-winning Emily Gravett is back to add to her greatest hits. This picture book is called Too Much Stuff! The story of two magpies who are building a nest for their eggs. A while into their construction they are convinced that they don’t have enough. The need for stuff is endless, and has inevitable consequences. A lesson there for the next generation perhaps? Gravett’s illustrations effortlessly dance off the page into your living room with aplomb.
Speaking of ways of seeing, Chris Haughton teaches us to push boundaries and indulge our more mischievous side (when no one is looking, of course). Maybe… is the story of three monkeys who sat high up on a forest canopy with their big monkey, who cautions them from going down to the lower mango tree. “There are tigers down there.” What if they should go have a look? That should be okay right? Over the summer, Haughton’s picture book came to life in the Museum of Literature in Ireland, at an exhibition that celebrated the best in Irish Literature.
For the mothers (and caregivers) out there comes M.O.M.(Mom Operating Manual), a picture guide, which widely accepts that “mothers are the most advanced human models on the planet”. It goes on to give a historical overview of moms, and what to do in case of an emergency? The golden rule though, never changes — take care of mom… and she’ll take care of you.
Finally, Meet Maud in Weirdo by Zadie Smith. She’s a guinea pig who wears a Judo suit and is Kit’s birthday present. Kit’s other pets have never met anyone like her before. Dora the Cat thinks she’s a weirdo, and the others agree. In a strange, but heart-warming sequence of events, she comes to learn that being yourself is the very best thing you can be. Life is too short, not to be a weirdo. This festive season, let that thought guide your reading recommendations. Get your book recommendations on @storytellerkol on Instagram/Twitter.
Aman Misra is a freelance journalist and runs the independently-owned Storyteller Bookstore in Calcutta
